As Miami University and the University of Dayton continue to see coronavirus cases climb, health experts say whether students live on or off campus plays a role in the spread of the virus.
“I think what happens is you end up spreading the infection rather than concentrating it,” said. Dr. Roberto Colon, associate chief medical officer at Miami Valley Hospital said. “When you have students living on campus, and particularly you have a situation where you can easily have a person passing it on to other people because they are cohabiting. When you have people who are commuting and going somewhere else, that risk may not be there for all those students, but if that person is infected they could be transplanting those risks to somewhere else.”
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On Wednesday, Miami reported 132 new student cases Wednesday on its Oxford campus and the University of Dayton reported 70 new cases on campus Tuesday. UD now has 801 active cases and Miami sits at 704 total student cases.
>> Coronavirus: Miami University reports 132 new active cases on Oxford campus
Wright State, which began classes the same day as UD, has reported 4 student cases and 1 staff case on its campus.
Gov. Mike DeWine said the state saw its highest single-day case count since the end of July Tuesday, when 1,453 cases were reported to the Ohio Department of Health.
“We think it’s caused by our colleges going back to school and grade schools and high schools going back,” DeWine said.
In the Miami Valley, multiple school districts have already reported positive cases involving students and employees since classes have started. Colon said locally, doctors have seen an increase in COVID-19 cases among children, but adds they are not being hospitalized.
“We’re seeing those younger individuals starting to get tested. Because we are seeing those who are younger and symptomatic,” Colon said. “Most of the younger kids who are going to get the disease are going to have milder forms or will not have any symptoms at all.”
News Center 7′s Katy Andersen asked Colon if children are coming home and spreading the virus to their parents or family members.
“We have not yet been seeing that in our area an immediate spike, leading to adults, their parents, having an infection. That’s not to say it’s not going to happen. It may be too early to see that secondary part of the transition,” Colon said.
The state will release its latest health advisory system update, which will show what counties are seeing the most spread of the virus just a week after most schools have returned to the classroom.